“Beer bandit” steals $15K in craft beer

A man police are dubbing the “beer bandit” has been arrested in Boulder, Colorado, for allegedly stealing $15,000 worth of craft beer.

“Beer bandit” Adam Dickinson

According to 9News.com, 26-year-old Adam Dickinson stole 570 bottles, some of them worth $300 dollars each, from the Avery Brewing Company in the Colorado city of Boulder.

Dickinson is accused of taking the vintage barrel-aged beer during an eight-month stint as an Avery employee, from March to October 2012.

Police, who found the stash of bottles in Dickinson’s house, say the accused sold some of the stolen beer online and gave bottles to his new boss as a gift.

“It blew us all away mostly because it is a very tight knit community,” Avery assistant Tap Room manager Matty Lambuth told 9News.com.

“Around here we call each other family. We haven’t seen anything like that before,” Lambuth added.

Some of the Avery beers police found at Dickinson’s house

Speaking of the stolen vintage beer, assistant Tap Room manager Michelle Jones described it as “liquid gold.”

“They’re very limited batches that we make one time and one time only so it becomes a prized commodity,” Jones told 9News.com.

“It’s really sad to see this happen in the craft beer industry because we are all friends,” Jones added.

Some of the people in the Boulder community who purchased stolen bottles online from Dickinson have contacted the brewery about returning the beer.

Dickinson is currently being held on US$5,000 bail at the Larimer County Detention Center.